Corporal Carl Taylor, 25, used his own body as a shield as he carried the boys, aged between three and seven, back to their distraught mothers.

A HERO Birmingham soldier who rescued three terrified young Afghan children while under Taliban fire was awarded the Military Cross by the Queen yesterday.

Corporal Carl Taylor, 25, used his own body as a shield as he carried the boys, aged between three and seven, back to their distraught mothers.

At the time of his actions his girlfriend was five months pregnant. But Cpl Taylor put those thoughts aside to courageously dash 80ft to reach the youngsters, who were trapped by insurgent gunfire.

Yesterday his bravery was recognised when he was awarded the Military Cross by the Queen at an investiture ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, just two days before Remembrance Sunday.

Cpl Taylor, of 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, had previously spoken about being alerted to the trapped children by their horrified mothers.

He said: “Through the interpreter, they told me their children were stuck outside.

‘‘The children were stuck behind a small wall. They were too scared to move because of the incoming fire from the insurgents.”

Without thinking about his own safety, the soldier rushed over to the weeping young boys, picked one of them up and ran straight back to the compound. He and his platoon commander, Captain James Cook, then went back to rescue the other two children, who ran straight into their mothers’ arms.

Corporal Carl Taylor (left) from Harborne in Birmingham and Lieutenant James Cook

Cpl Taylor said the Afghan mums expressed their joy at being reunited with their sons.

“They were very grateful and kept thanking us. They made some of their local tea, but we didn’t really hang around that compound for that much longer,” he said.

The Birmingham soldier said he was “really chuffed” to receive the Military Cross, adding: “It’s absolutely a great honour. It came as a complete shock.”

Yesterday he rubbed shoulders with Oscar-nominated actor and director Kenneth Branagh, who was receiving a knighthood.

“When I was a kid I dreamed of pulling on a shirt for the Northern Ireland football team,” said the actor.

“I could only imagine how proud you might feel. Today it feels like they just gave me the shirt and my heart’s fit to burst.”